How To Become A Physical Therapist Aide

The career of the physical therapist is a lucrative one and for those that have not enough finances do not necessarily have to turn away from such path. There are other positions available to work in a physical therapy clinic than just the physical therapists to start in this profession. One of those jobs is that of the physical therapist aide. As the name suggests, this job is focused on helping the physical therapist in the clinic. Physical therapist aide does not handle treatment of patients but make sure that other tasks in the clinic are dealt with.

Becoming a physical therapist aide is pretty much easy and do not require a college degree. The minimum education requirement to land a physical therapist aide job is a high school diploma or its equivalent. Those who have some college or training in a trade or technical school may have an advantage in applying for this position. Specific responsibilities are usually provided as on the job training by the physical therapists themselves. Prior job experience may sometimes be preferred by some clinics, as work demand may be hectic at the time of hiring.

Even starting as a physical therapist aide, it is important to finish high school with high GPA grade. The responsibilities in this job are attending to patients, family members and other people coming in the clinic. The physical therapy aide does gathering essential information from patients or family members.

The information is also properly recorded, updated, and kept in filing cabinets. Other paperwork is also included in the clerical duties of a physical therapist aide such as processing insurance claims and providing patient information to the referring physician. Inventory equipment and supply is also maintained by this position from requisitioning, organizing and storing as well as getting a technician to visit the clinic for equipment maintenance.

Being a physical therapist aide is far from the actual physical therapist but with the exposure to the profession, this can be advantageous for an aspiring physical therapist. Starting as a physical therapist aide will gain enough experience in this field and save for the further education that is required to become a physical therapist eventually. After completing a bachelor’s degree, the clinic may even be able to support the master’s degree to become a physical therapist eventually. With the support of the clinic, the aspiring physical therapist will already have a job waiting at the clinic. This can be a job opportunity for those who are determined to reach such goal.